>>> Bone Bender Research Project <<<

[melodichaotic]

Hey Angus,
Thanks for doing that demo, and nice job BTW…
Even though these are completely different circuits,
It's nice to hear the comparison if just to sonically illustrate
what favorable qualities one might desire in a fuzz.

That being said, the sustain on the BB is schtoopid good...it's like
having a built in E bow!

...and Zhivago...EXCELLENT post!! Why does that never get
old? I mean Rob Reiner did some great stuff, and he validated
himself alone with "When Harry Met Sally", but Spinal Tap", is
priceless... almost like an American take of what Monty Python
might have done.

I remember having this promo poster in the early 90s :


Among other things, I think some of the inspiration can be found
here:

And especially here:

[zhivago]

I agree...it seems that with This Is Spinal Tap they just did it so well.

When I first discovered the film in my early 20s, I went through a phase of watching it twice a week!

I even have the companion book to the movie

[BJF]

Hey Angus,
Thanks for doing that demo, and nice job BTW…
Even though these are completely different circuits,
It's nice to hear the comparison if just to sonically illustrate
what favorable qualities one might desire in a fuzz.

That being said, the sustain on the BB is schtoopid good...it's like
having a built in E bow!

...and Zhivago...EXCELLENT post!! Why does that never get
old? I mean Rob Reiner did some great stuff, and he validated
himself alone with "When Harry Met Sally", but Spinal Tap", is
priceless... almost like an American take of what Monty Python
might have done.

I remember having this promo poster in the early 90s :


Among other things, I think some of the inspiration can be found
here:

And especially here:

Hi there,

Oh yes that’s some of where the real heavy inspiration came from and I recall the first time seeing Eric Clapton in that vid on TV and at the time I though an electric guitar had that sound stock! I mean most of the amps I first played had that breaking up sound - not so with amps at school
But anyway I outlined in the Sparkle Face thread several of those amps I played and the sounds like the very first amp…but oh yes I’d often qoute Clapton on that with the finger vibrato something he also said in another instruction film with a 'don’t try this at home - you need to be a professional’
Yes heavy memories coming on and yes Spinal Tap-there are not words other than something that Monty Python could have done only this made fun of nearly any myth thinkable in the rock scene and I can see Spinal Tap so many times laughing about the same things.

Yes I read that Vic Flick wanted this heavy sustain from his Gibson FZ-1 and recalled thinking the same thing when I repaired and played an FZ-1 for the first time and yes getting a long sustain I really can recall and feel resonating through years-it’s just so much fun to have that in the hands and control it …

Right so I have no idea what’s inside the Sola Sound Bender but the Bone bender is my version of Tone Bender mark 1

Anyway thanks much for the memory jog

Indeed schematic coming up soon on Bone Bender and how to set up and hopefully I’ll get some assistans with a perf board layout aswell

Have fun
BJ

[ak47]

Regarding the Sola Sound & BJFE; I guess 'Tone-Bender' is a very broad term with so many ideas about what the sound should be and what we want and expect it to do.. not to mention all the different ideas of how it should behave and how it should be made.. thankfully Björn understands this and has delivered in spades The more I play it the more I find the BB to be what I want a Tone-Bender to be, go where it should go and have so much more on offer than just 'that' sound.

Aaah.. Marty, I love that clip of Jeff Beck and of course that reminds me of the scene in Spinal Tap when they are waiting in a foyer.. Nigel is reading a Hot Rod magazine. Such a nice yet subtle nod to Mr Beck!

[Donner]

.... just got a huge batch from Bjorn with a number of Bone Benders and other fuzzes etc..... www.bearfootfx.com

[ak47]

So I spent sunday afternoon in BJ's workshop and was privy to many exciting, new developments.. hold onto your hats!!

Anyway, I went home with a Bone Bender 2 and thought it might be fun to share some of my experiences here also.. this is from my correspondence with BJ:

"Wow, I just pulled myself away from a couple of hours of bone bending…!!! I had just adjusted the relief on one of my les pauls and had to check it out properly. I plugged it into the BB2 and straight into a Laney cub 10… good lord !! The most amazing thing is that there can be that much sustain and a type of fuzz that is like putty under the fingers and yet when backing off the volume, it so quickly results in such a delightfully different, crunchy rock tone. All the chords and double stops start pouring out with fantastic string separation and vitality… pull back on your playing attack a bit more and a soft yet crispy clean sound starts to respond to your playing dynamics with a really pleasing shimmer in the top end… yeah… this is with a les Paul right!?! Wind up the volume and we are back in a modern stoners riff paradise accompanied by the singing sustain we all love.. ama zing.."

This BB2 is dynamic.. BJ has trimmed it by ear to make it go saturated yet remain dynamic.. sooooo good!

[zhivago]

So I spent sunday afternoon in BJ's workshop and was privy to many exciting, new developments.. hold onto your hats!!

Anyway, I went home with a Bone Bender 2 and thought it might be fun to share some of my experiences here also.. this is from my correspondence with BJ:

"Wow, I just pulled myself away from a couple of hours of bone bending…!!! I had just adjusted the relief on one of my les pauls and had to check it out properly. I plugged it into the BB2 and straight into a Laney cub 10… good lord !! The most amazing thing is that there can be that much sustain and a type of fuzz that is like putty under the fingers and yet when backing off the volume, it so quickly results in such a delightfully different, crunchy rock tone. All the chords and double stops start pouring out with fantastic string separation and vitality… pull back on your playing attack a bit more and a soft yet crispy clean sound starts to respond to your playing dynamics with a really pleasing shimmer in the top end… yeah… this is with a les Paul right!?! Wind up the volume and we are back in a modern stoners riff paradise accompanied by the singing sustain we all love.. ama zing.."

This BB2 is dynamic.. BJ has trimmed it by ear to make it go saturated yet remain dynamic.. sooooo good!

Excellent news!!

My MK1 Bone Bender is the only pedal that made me pull a guitar face, by myself, playing in my living room!

Looking forward for more goodies from Bjorn's lab!!!

[ak47]

I'm pulling lots of faces tonight

[zhivago]

Wow! Awesome paint job on this BB!!!

[ak47]

Wow! Awesome paint job on this BB!!!

Yes! All that glitters is not gold..